BULL’S HIT

Rudy Garcia
A city official with a mistress

BAGUIO CITY -- This piece is dedicated to a dear friend Bernadette Durano fondly called “Manang Bernie” who is confined at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center battling the Big C.

Yes dear readers, you might have been reading her articles in this column when I asked her to be my guest columnist and later on was made a regular columnist contributor in this same paper.

I sometimes went along with her to visit and extend help and support to patients at the hospitals and at the house of sick people when she was still healthy and active in practicing her given gift of spiritual healing, and I stand witness to her noble intentions. Never did she ask any favor in return from her patients. Her services were free.

An engineer, she also authored a several books on God and religion available for sale or rent in selected bookstores and at the Baguio Cathedral library. A true blooded Baguio girl, there were times when I kept reminding her to finish her articles to beat the press deadline. She called me up to get the disc. Later did I know that she had bone cancer.

I nearly had my tears fall to my cheeks when I visited her recently on her bed in the hospital. Bedridden, she was so thin and could hardly move, but her will to survive was a consolation to relatives and friends who came to visit her. I really salute her for the courage to fight and hold on to the ropes. I know miracles could happen to my dear friend, my sister and columnist.
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The United States of America finally choose Sen. Barack Obama as their 44th President making history as the first African-American President. And as a standard rule of acknowledgement for the new US President, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sent her message immediately after. Juan dela Cruz is now awaiting what could be the effect on the relationship of nations known as allies or puppets of the US. Will the White House eventually become a Black House? Will Obama continue to implement programs of President Bush and still acknowledge old allied nations or would he step aside and tell them that its all over and this time he wants change.

Would the US, under him, resign as a guardian to this Banana Republic? Could we stand on our own if the White House officially declares “Abdicatio Tutelae” to us? Let’s wait and see.
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The series of road accidents happening on major highways proved that a lot of our drivers lack discipline. Look what happened to the Revo AUV that was crumpled like a tin can of sardines when it was ran over by a speeding Fermina Bus along North Luzon Expressway a day after All Saints Day. That incident reminds me of a near tragic incident that could have been the same fate to me and my family along Quirino Highway at Naguillian La Union, if not for the quick act of instinct by my brother in law who managed to avoid a speeding Partas Bus who overtook another vehicle and was coming towards our direction on the same lane and iatfull speed.

I tried to call the attention of the DOTC-LTFRB CAR and the Administrator of the Partas Bus Line through this column but I never heard anything from them nor did they inform me of any punitive sanction against the driver of the bus Line. I guess if anyone of us could be injured or dead, then I bet those concerned authorities would be quick in squeezing the neck of the operator or the driver. But I again bet, they would ignore the issue until it dies a natural death. Saka lamang sila kikilos kapag may nangyari na.

In fact, it is a public knowledge that some operators and drivers have been able to secure their certificates of public conveyance and drivers license through palakasan and cashunduan I wonder if strict regulations in issuing such are now rusting in the dust bins.

Another reason of these accidents could be the salary system of these drivers. Some of them are compensated by commission basis, thus they are constrained to beat the trip to have more, meaning, more trips, more commissions. But the safety of the passengers is now at risk. So in this case, who should be blamed? Is it the driver, the operator, the authorities or is it the passengers who know that riding a public vehicle is at their own risk?
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The Baguio City public order and safety division demolition team and ambulant vendors clashed anew when the former conducted another clearing operation at the city market particularly at Zandueta, Kayang and Hilltop. This resulted to exchange of words and filing of charges between POSD chief Greg Delijero and a certain vendor they called Aoyong.

Some of these vendors are now claiming that the POSD men were abusive and selective in implementing their operations. They further said, they wanted to have an open dialogue with any of city officials, but these officials according to them are pinpointing at each other and making lots of turn around. Maybe our honorable officials could find time to answer these, right Mayor Peter Rey Bautista, Councilor Elaine Sembrano and City Administrator Peter Fianza?
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How true that the Alay sa Kalinisan members, a non-government group, are the ones who decide on these clearing operations done by the POSD? Is the ASK president who happens to be the father of the city Mayor more powerful than the city mayor himself, the reason why some vendors are asking who is really the city mayor, the senior or the junior?
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And who is this division chief at the Baguio City Hall who is a known regular client of gambling dens, casinos and at tupadas? A lot of my friends at the market are telling me that this official is really hooked to gambling even before he became a personality at city hall. He also had the story of trying to scare his gambling opponents once he lost a lot by calling his aides who were all armed with short guns. If you want to know who I am referring to, just ask any habitual gambler at the city market and they would tell you who this official is who also has a mistress who is a daughter of a woman vendor.